


College: The Best Years Of Your Life

by raindrop_royal



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Asexual Character, Bad French, Bad Spanish, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Other, Pining, Polyamory, Trans Male Character, Underage Drinking, bad, idk ive never actually planned out a story like this, ill add tags as the story goes on, im a year 2 french student so, im also a bad mexican so, mostly - Freeform, probably slow burn, slow-burn?, the relationship tags are in the order that they get together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-22 12:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11380203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raindrop_royal/pseuds/raindrop_royal
Summary: Alex Harley is welcomed into college by old friends... really old friends. Romance, angst, and possibly a felony or two.





	1. First Impressions Are Important

**Author's Note:**

> so i deleted my earlier version of this because i started actually planning out what i was doing around chapter 4  
> im bad at being a writer  
> nayway i hope yall enjoy this trainwreck
> 
> CHARACTER LIST  
> Alexander Hamilton - Alexander Harley, goes by Alex  
> John Laurens - John Law  
> Marquis de Lafayette - the same name, goes by Gil or Gilbert  
> Hercules Mulligan - Hercules McGuire  
> Angelica Schuyler - Angelica Singh, goes by Angie  
> Peggy Schuyler - Margaret Sky, goes by Maggie
> 
> i'll add to this list as time goes on

Alexander Harley drove up to the community college, feeling blessed that they at least had a good coat and warm pajamas, if not much else. All of their belongings fit into a rather small suitcase and a single cardboard box. With a sigh, they turned the car off and stepped into the cold. They needed to get their schedule as soon as possible. They hurried into the square building closest to them, praying that they had the right one. Several minutes later, they realized that they were not in the registration building, but the gym. Embarrassed, they left the warm room, looking to the left to see the word 'registration' stamped across the glass doors of another building. With burning cheeks, they hustled toward the slightly taller building. The girl at the front desk seemed cheerful enough as she asked for Alexander's papers. She worked with efficiency, stamping and signing and checking things. Everything was done in less than ten minutes, the folder pushed back toward them with a room key on top. She smiled widely at him.  
"You're one lucky boy. You have the best roommates possible. Your room is number 740. Nice to meet you, Mister Harley." She seemed very familiar, so much so that they had to ask.  
"I'm very sorry if I'm bothering you, but would you happen to know if we've met before?" The girl looked slightly startled.  
"No, I don't think we have."  
"Well, do you know who you were in your past life?" The girl looked surprised, then smiled again.  
"I do, but you probably wouldn't know her."  
"Try me," Alex said.  
"My name was Angelica Schuyler." Alex's breathing hitched for a moment.  
"And what would your name be now?"  
"It's actually quite similar. It's Angelica Singh, but you can call me Angie." Alex nodded, taking the folder and key.  
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Miss Singh. I hope we see more of each other."  
"The same to you, Mister Harley." She smiled again, turning to the next person behind Alexander. Alex quit the building, heading toward what they assumed were the dorms. They noticed with a hint of amusement that Angie Singh had printed them a map. They got so distracted by examining the map that they weren't watching where they were going. They crashed into someone just as they were walking through the door of dorm building 700. They fell back, landing on the hard, frozen ground. A hand helped them up, accompanied by a worried voice.  
"Oh my god, I am really sorry. I didn't mean to run into you like that, I just got really into a video. I'm sorry." Standing before Alex was a straight-haired girl in yellow.  
"It's fine, really. I wasn't looking where I was going either." The girl's smile turned devilish.  
"So what's your name, cutie," she asked. Alex laughed.  
"Alexander Harley. And yours?"  
"Maggie Sky. Did you just come from registration?"  
"Yes."  
"So you already met my friend."  
"Yes, Angie is very nice." Maggie gave Alex an odd look.  
"It's unlike her to let a stranger call her 'Angie'."  
"How do you know I'm a stranger?"  
"Because," Maggie said pointedly, "as the most down-to-earth of the three of us, and the one who brought us three together, I make it a point to know anyone who befriends or dates either of the Singhs."  
"How interesting. Well, it was very nice to meet you, Miss Sky."  
"And you, Mister Harley." They parted ways; Alex could hear Maggie laughing. They shook their head, a smile on their face. Too late, they realized that she also seemed very familiar and that they'd forgotten to ask her about her past life. They made their way up the stairs to the fourth floor, a million "what if's" about their roommates running through their head. Angie had said that they were the best roommates, and that they were lucky, but they were still worried. As they reached the room, they heard music playing. The door was slightly ajar. Gently, they pushed it open. Inside were two people, the one with afro slim-not-skinny, the other broad-shouldered. The music was in French, they realized. At the same time, they realized that the two people had been dancing. They carried on dancing until Alex cleared their throat.  
"Ahem." The other two stopped their dancing to look at Alex. The one with broad shoulders spoke first.  
"Are you our new roommate?"  
"I guess so. I'm Alexander Harley. You can call me Alex. And you are?" Slim spoke.  
"You can call me Gilbert, or Gil," he said. Alex felt a snap of familiarity in the back of their mind.  
"Tu est français," they asked, hope burning in their stomach. Gil looked surprised.  
"Oui. Je suis un Lafayette." Alex's heart missed a beat; they were right. Angelica Schuyler and a Lafayette. Alex was willing to bet their last dollar that Maggie was Peggy Schuyler. Shoulders broke through Alex's thoughts, introducing himself.  
"I'm Hercules McGuire. I also don't speak French, so me and Gil have a 'keep the French at a minimum' rule. If that'll be a problem, we can change it."  
"No, it'll be fine. Um, this might be nosy or insensitive, but do either of you know who you were in your past lives?" They both nodded.  
"I was a Frenchman that came to fight for George Washington in the American Revolution," Gil said.  
"I was a tailor and a spy for George Washington. What about you," Hercules said.  
"I was a soldier and politician under Washington and created the national bank." Gil, who had been sending Alex looks, suddenly pulled them into a hard hug.  
"Alex. Mon coeur," Gil whispered, hugging Alex tight. His voice was thick, like he was choking back tears.  
"I hoped you'd remember me, my dear Lafayette," Alex whispered back. They pulled apart to see Hercules looking confused. Gil and Alex both opened their mouths to give the explanation they didn't have when a small voice saved them from the doorway.  
"Pardon me. I think this is my room?" They all turned to see a boy walk into the room, a purple suitcase by his side. Gil and Hercules looked at each other.  
"I guess it is, if your room is 740." The boy nodded.  
"Well, that's the key that the woman at the desk gave me."  
"Then this is your room. I'm Hercules, the other tall one is Gil, and the short one is Alexander-"  
"I am not short," Alexander replied indignantly.  
"- who is also just moving in. What's your name?"  
"Uh, John. Law." Alex glanced at Gil, who was staring at John as though he'd never seen another human before. Alex spoke.  
"So, John, just before you walked in, we were discussing past lives. Do you know yours?" John nodded.  
"Yeah, uh, I was a soldier under George Washington and an abolitionist." Hercules cut off Alex before he could comment.  
"Well, isn't that interesting! All four of us worked for Washington! Maybe we knew each other!" John nodded, giving Hercules a small smile.  
"Do you know what your names were?" They all nodded.  
"I was Hercules Mulligan."  
"I was Alexander Hamilton."  
"My name is still the same thing: a mouthful." Alex laughed.  
"Say it anyway."  
"Your funeral. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier. I go by Gil." John looked surprised.  
"Wow, that is a mouthful. That was your name in your past life?"  
"Yes. I actually was a marquis in my past life. Marquis de Lafayette." Hercules flopped onto the sofa.  
"Can't you technically still claim that title since you remember your name and they can cross-check it with the records?"  
"Yes, technically, but it would mean next to nothing nowadays. But enough talking about the past," Gil said, a meaningful look at Alex. "We need to get Alex and John moved in."  
"John, you can toss your stuff in either room. Gil and I have yet to claim our rooms this time around. There's two beds in each, so don't worry about bunking up," Herc said with a wink toward Gil, who giggled. John smiled a tight smile, then went into the room closest to him.  
"I've gotta get my stuff from the car," Alex said, leaving the room. They heard Gil say something to Hercules, then footsteps. The man caught up with them at the top of the stairs. They walked silently for minute, then Gil asked the question he'd had since his past life, with new life additions.  
"Alexander."  
"Gilbert."  
"Did you mean it?"  
"Mean what?"  
"What you said? 'My dear Lafayette'? And all those letters you wrote to me during the Revolution." Alex and Gil reached the bottom floor.  
"I meant every word. What I said in the dorm and every word in those letters, Gil. Every word." Gil was smiling as they came upon Alex's car. They opened the door to the passenger seat, grabbing their suitcase. Gil grabbed their box of books with a frown.  
"This is all you have?" Alex nodded.  
"That box is textbooks and my suitcase has my clothes." Gil clicked his tongue.  
"I'll have to fix that." Alex laughed.  
"Believe me, Gil, I don't think you'll be able to." Gil just nodded. They returned to their dorm to see John and Hercules watching a movie. Alex and Gil dropped the box and suitcase in the further room, then came and sat on the floor on front of the sofa. Hercules gave them a look.  
"Why don't you come on the sofa? We can make room." Gil laughed.  
"Why would we do that when you and John look so cozy together?" John coughed. Hercules laughed at Gil, lightly swatting his hair.  
"You're full of shit, Gil."  
"I learned from the best, mon ami." The banter ceased as the focus returned to the movie.  
Eight o'clock rolled around, and Hercules claimed the same room as John. Gil and Alex made their way into their room, sitting on their respective beds. They spent a few minutes getting ready for bed in silence, when Gil spoke up.  
"So, Alex… I know that it's most certainly far too soon, especially since we just met technically, but… do you… still feel the same way as you did back then? About all of us?" Alex was silent for a moment, then went to sit by Gil on his bed.  
"I do. I feel the same, and stronger, I think. I still think that you and John and Hercules make up the heavens, and that I would do anything to be with you. Do you feel the same about me?" Gil was choked up for a moment. He pulled Alexander into his lap, burying his face in Alex's neck.  
"Yes. Yes, I feel the same about you, ma chérie. I was so envious of John, who got to share your bed, while I was so far from you, with only letters to attempt to satiate me. I loved you with all my heart, even more than my dear Adrienne. You were my one and only, Alexander, and you still are." Alex felt tears pricking their eyes. They wrapped their arms around Gilbert's neck, kissing his forehead.  
"We've found each other again, my love. I've never been more thankful in either life," Alex said. Gilbert emerged from the crook of Alex's neck, his face wet with tears.  
"Don't leave me again," he pleaded, a heart-broken look in his eyes. Alex kissed his forehead again.  
"Never." Slowly, they fell asleep.


	2. Say You Remember Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first few chapters are the same as before but i changed a few things like pronouns and names and some other minor details
> 
> CHARACTER LIST  
> Alexander Hamilton - Alexander Harley, goes by Alex  
> John Laurens - John Law  
> Marquis de Lafayette - the same name, goes by Gil or Gilbert  
> Hercules Mulligan - Hercules McGuire  
> Angelica Schuyler - Angelica Singh, goes by Angie  
> Peggy Schuyler - Margaret Sky, goes by Maggie

The two had fallen asleep on Gil's bed, tangled in each other's arms. Gil woke first, gazing at Alex. He smiled as Alex woke up.  
"Good morning, Alex."  
"Good morning, Gil." Suddenly, the door slammed open.  
"Gil! Let's show our new friends around campus! Get -- oh." Hercules was standing in the doorway, John peering under his arm at Alex and Gil, who looked at the pair in shock. Hercules cleared his throat.  
"Oh. So. This is a thing. I -- When did this happen? I mean, I'm not judging, it's just that… well, from yesterday, it seemed like you two hadn't seen each other… in a while." Herc trailed off, fiddling with his fingers. Alex and Gil looked at each other. In a moment, they came up with a story.  
"Well, I went on a trip to a French high school because I won a writing contest--"  
"-- And we met there. Alex stayed for a week, but in that time, I developed feelings for him --"  
"-- And we traded contact info. We emailed each other for about a year, and then my email got shut down because of a link that I copied wrong--"  
"-- so we lost contact. Then, as fate would have it, we met again here," Gil finished the story with an affectionate look at Alexander.  
"We're not a hundred percent sure that we're back together, and we are going to talk about it," Alex said, shooting a look at Gil, "but for now, we're just basking in the fact that fate brought us together again." Hercules and John seemed to accept the story, to the relief of Alex and Gil.  
"Oh. Okay. Well… I guess we'll just… leave you to it. But I want you both ready in two hours at most," Hercules said. The two in bed nodded as Hercules closed the door. Alex turned to Gil.  
"So."  
"So. We are going to talk about this now?"  
"Yes. If Hercules and John don't remember serving with us, then we can't force it. We remembered each other, and our feelings for each other, so I wouldn't be opposed to a relationship." Alex's forehead met Gil's very gently. They grinned at each other, Gil's eyes sparkling.  
"I wouldn't either. In fact, would you like to go on a date this weekend?" Gil smiled at Alex, melting their heart all over again.  
"Yes, I'd enjoy that. So the relationship is a thing we're going to try. What do we do if John and Hercules remember?" Gil looked thoughtful for a moment.  
"If they remember everything, then we tell the truth. If not, we stick with the story we told them." Alex nodded, then sighed.  
"Okay. This is gonna be difficult. I found my John again, and he doesn't remember me."  
"I know. How do you think I felt when I found Hercules last year? He still doesn't remember me," Gil trailed off miserably.  
"I'm so sorry, Gil." Alex, on an impulse, kissed Gil on the cheek. Gil looked surprised, then blushed.  
"That needs to happen more often," he said. Alex chuckled.  
"I think it will, if you like it so much. We have to get dressed before Hercules and John come in again." Reluctantly, Gilbert agreed. They finally got up, getting dressed to the sound of Gil tisking at Alex's limited wardrobe. They kissed each other on the cheek before leaving the room.  
"I thought you'd take longer, honestly," Herc said lieu of a greeting. Alex snickered as Gil swatted Hercules's head.  
"I'm starving. Do we have food," Alex asked. Gil and Hercules both jumped into the description of the cafeteria and the food served there.  
"Just lead us there," Alex said, laughing at their eagerness. They looked over at John. "Unless you're not hungry, John?" John seemed startled at the fact that he was being directly addressed.  
"Uh, I'm starving, actually. Breakfast would be nice." He smiled a small smile, one that broke Alex's heart with its meekness. As the quartet walked down to the cafeteria, Alex wondered what had happened to John in this life that their hot-tempered lover was gone. They walked slower than the rest of the group so they could observe their old friends. Hercules seemed less shy than he had been before, whereas John was more so. Gil seemed to be a little more dramatic, which struck Alex as odd. They had no complaints, though; their friends were, in essence, the same people that they had known nearly 200 years ago, and for that they were grateful, as there were few people now who would tolerate them, even in their mellowed-out state.  
Alexander had remembered who they were in the summer of their sophomore year. They'd always been interested in history, so what better way to spend their time than by looking up the history of their adoptive country? They had started by googling important historical figures. Several names were familiar to him, some inducing joy, some sadness, and some rage. When looking up men under Washington's command (something that Alexander felt familiar with, though they didn't know why), they found a few names that stuck out to them: John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and the Marquis de Lafayette. The last name, which was mostly mentioned in passing, was Alexander Hamilton. As they read, they saw things playing out in their head with startling detail. When they asked their sponsor family, George and Martha Walker, about their memory, they had hugged them tight. George told Alex about his own memory, and Alex saw so many pieces click into place.  
Alex was broken from their reverie when Gilbert and Hercules announced the entrance of the cafeteria in loud, silly voices. A giggle came from next to Alex, who looked at John in badly-concealed surprise. John himself seemed surprised that he was laughing.  
"Sorry, it's just that… well, that was funny," John explained, seeming slightly less awkward than before.  
"It's quite alright, mon ami." Gil grinned at John, and then at Alex. They all walked into the cafeteria to see about a hundred people gathered near the middle. Gil and Hercules rolled their eyes, like this was a common happenstance. Alex, however, was incredibly interested at the growing crowd in the cafeteria. They moved closer to try and see what was going on. Unfortunately, they were shorter than most of the people in the crowd, so they couldn't see much past some shoulders. However, they did hear someone talking, even if they only caught snippets of what the person was saying.  
" – and think they can just walk among us! We should not tolerate these disgusting people! I don't want my future children to have to see men kissing men –" Alex, immediately on guard, moved closer, just as Hercules came to their side. They pushed their way through the crowd, throwing elbows and shoving. They made their way to the front to see a skinny blond kid standing on a table.  
" – gonna let them pollute our pure community?"  
"Pollution only occurs when something toxic is present in a pure or untainted environment, and as far as I know, the current state of society is not pure, and the LGBT+ community is not particularly toxic." The blond kid looked around.  
"Who said that?"  
"I did." Alex climbed onto the table, a familiar feeling rising in them. "I am not going to stand idly by while you dehumanize my community. Most people gather a public audience to talk about something that has affected them in the past. Sometimes it's trauma, sometimes it's not. So, what has the gay community as whole ever done to you? I know that certain individuals are not nice people and like to harass cisgender-heterosexual people, and trust me, the gay community does not appreciate them at all, but as a whole, the community is quite nice and accepting. So tell me, what have we done to you?" The blond kid was at a loss for words, it seemed.  
"I -- They're disgusting -"  
"So? There are people who think mushrooms are disgusting, but you don't see them standing on tables and preaching about how they shouldn't exist. That's because they're mature enough to realize that they're not actually harming anyone. I suggest that you follow their lead. And y'know, sometimes people say adverse things about others because they are not comfortable in their own gender or sexuality. Maybe you should go home and take a good look at yourself, and identify anything that may be amiss. If that's not the case, then get off the table and go complain on your straight pride blog." Alex stared the boy down, even as he scrambled off the table. The crowd applauded Alex after a stunned silence, the roar suddenly deafening. Alex climbed off the table slowly, the crowd parting for them like the Red Sea. At the very back of the crowd were Hercules, who was staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed, John, who looked like a country boy seeing a cathedral for the first time, and Gilbert, whose eyes were shining with pride as Alex made their way to his side. Gil pulled Alex into a hug.  
"You haven't changed a bit," he said. When they pulled apart, Gil's eyes were shining with something else: tears. Alex kissed Gil's face.  
"That was scary. I have really bad stage fright this time around, but I push it down because I still have so much to say." Gil chuckled.  
"You, formerly Alexander Hamilton, have stage fright? I wish I could say that that was unexpected." Hercules cleared his throat, cutting into the conversation.  
"Let's get food before the line gets longer." They all made their way to the end of the line, several people staring and whispering to their friends. They found an empty table and sat down, Gil gluing himself to Alex's side.  
"So, Alex. What was that?" Hercules seemed incredibly interested in Alex's outburst.  
"Well, as an immigrant and a bi person, I don't really like when when people shit on others just because of who they are."  
"You were talking with a particularly violent passion, Alex. A lot of people can fight for human rights, but not many can do that."  
"I just have a lot to say," Alex replied, casting their eyes downward to their food. They felt Gil's arm around their shoulders and leaned into his embrace.  
"Well, it was incredible."  
"Yeah, I could never dream of doing something like that," came John's quiet voice. Alex looked to the man and smiled.  
"I bet you've got it in you, John. Anyone can talk a lot. What matters is if they're really saying anything." John nodded. He seemed to be breaking out of his shell somewhat, and Alex was excited to see whether or not he remembered. It was still too early to tell, though. The conversation carried on throughout the meal, until it was time for Hercules to go to his first class. The other three made their way back to the dorm, Gil's hand in Alex's as John stood a little bit away. They walked for a few minutes before the silence was broken.  
"Since Herc is gone and he was technically our link, what roommate bonding activity should we do," Gil asked, chuckling as Alex punched him in the arm.  
"I don't know. I have a few ideas about what you and I could do," Alex said flirtily, "but John is here and he really doesn't need to see that."  
"Yeah, it would probably be best if I didn't see either of you naked. We just met yesterday."  
"Oh, right. We haven't known each other forever, even if it feels like it," Gil said. He felt Alex squeeze his hand.  
"Yeah, I get that feeling, too," John replied quietly. Alex shot a look at Gil.  
"Maybe we did know each other in our past lives," Alex ventured, their eyes on the sidewalk. John gave an even quieter reply, one that neither Alex nor Gilbert caught.  
"Should we play a game?"  
"Scrabble?" Alex had puppy eyes; Scrabble was his favorite game.  
"Alex, I think you'd beat anyone at Scrabble," came John's voice again. It was shaky, like he was unused to speaking so much. "I'd like to have an equal chance of winning against the both of you." Alex grumped jokingly. Gil suddenly clapped excitedly.  
"Oh, I have Just Dance!" Alex and John looked at each other, then smirked.  
"Just Dance it is, then. What do you say, John?"  
"I say let's go for it," the smaller boy replied, smiling wide for the first time. Alex's heart gave a little flutter. Gil grabbed Alex's hand as John lead the way back to the dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing this story with an actual plan is really really weird


	3. Gettin' Comfy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i havent entirely abandoned this fic  
> i just forgot that i didnt post anything past chapter 2  
> whoops  
> nayway heres this little filler bit
> 
> Alexander Hamilton - Alexander Harley, goes by Alex  
> John Laurens - John Law  
> Marquis de Lafayette - the same name, goes by Gil or Gilbert  
> Hercules Mulligan - Hercules McGuire  
> Angelica Schuyler - Angelica Singh, goes by Angie  
> Peggy Schuyler - Margaret Sky, goes by Maggie

Alex was getting used to waking up next to Gil. They loved how Gil's arms were always wrapped around their waist, pulling them closer. They always woke up after Gil did, and were always greeted with a gentle smile or a kiss on the cheek. They would cuddle for a few minutes, then they'd get up for breakfast, which either Gil or Hercules would make. Hercules was an early riser; he was almost never asleep past 5 am. John was quite the opposite; he could sleep for days if he really wanted to. Alex started worrying about him more when he started going to sleep at 8 pm and pretty much always slept past 9 in the morning. They didn't know how to breach the subject with anyone because Gil would tell them not to push, and Hercules would tell them that some people sleep more than others. But as John settled in, he started staying up late with the group, joining in on conversations at midnight or 4 am breakfast runs.  
One Friday night, John and Gil were hanging out in the kitchen, their voices passing through the door of Alex and Gil's room, where Alex was writing another letter they'd never send. They listened to John's muffled voice and Gil's muffled laugh. There was a moment of silence, then John and Gil screamed. Alex bolted into the kitchen to see Gil and John huddled by the fridge, staring at Hercules, who was sprawled on the floor. Alex was the first to speak.  
"What the hell happened here?" Hercules started picking himself up, Gil moving to help him. Alex looked at John.  
"What happened?"  
"Gil and I were talking about dogs when we heard a tap on the window. Gil opened it, then Herc dropped in out of nowhere. He scared the hell out of us."  
"I was trying to. I didn't think I'd succeed like that," Herc replied, "even if I did kinda bumble on the entry."  
"'Bumble' is an understatement, my dear Hercules," Gil said, snickering. Alex shook their head at their friends, a smile on their face.  
"Well, that's a story to tell our children." Hercules had a look of confusion for a moment, then laughed.  
"Oh, you meant 'our' as in we're all gonna have our own children."  
"What did you think I meant?"  
"I thought you meant that the four of us were gonna have kids. Like, together." Herc chuckled, giving John eyebrows as Gil poked Alex.  
"Is that a conversation for the future, mon coeur?" Alex nodded, then cracked a smile.  
"Yes, that's a conversation that our future polyamorous selves must have." They all laughed, John laughing the loudest. The other three looked at John in surprise, then at each other.  
"What are you all doing? I want in on the telepathic conversation."  
"Sorry, cool kids only," Herc replied. John smiled, rolling his eyes.  
"Am I not cool enough for you, Herc?"  
"You're cool, just not cool enough to have telepathy." John and Herc dove into an entire other conversation about telepathy. Gil and Alex interjected occasionally, with either a joke or an irrelevant comment. The four felt something change within their relationship; they now felt closer to each other than they had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise im still working on this  
> its just that my life is a little crazy and im fairly disorganized  
> also if you read this please leave me comments! they motivate me to write and are wonderful to read! <3


	4. Alcohol Is Just Social Lubricant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dances onstage* its been a hot minute  
> im trying to at least get into the groove of having another chapter ready to go by the time i post one. its shockingly easy since i write more than i post haha,,,,,  
> anyway, if there's anyone actually reading this, enjoy! this is my favourite chapter so far if im being honest

Gil was cooking when Alex sleepily walked into the kitchen, their eyes squinched shut. They wrapped their arms around Gil's waist, burying their face in his back.  
"Bon matin, ma moitié," Gil greeted them, a smile immediately growing on his face.  
"Shh, je suis endormi. Silence, s'il vous plaît," they mumbled sleepily.  
"Retournés à ton lit," Gil replied, chuckling as Alex wrapped their arms tighter.  
"Mais tu est confortable…"  
"I hear French. Are you two flirting?" Hercules stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Gil rolled his eyes.  
"No. French isn't just a flirty language, Hercules. French is just like German, or like English. It's not 'sexy', or a 'romantic' language. It's just a way people communicate," Gil ranted, glaring at his friend. Alex lifted their head from Gil's back to glare as well, then went back to cuddling their boyfriend.  
"You guys are a handful," Herc quipped, going back to flop on the couch. John emerged from his room a few seconds later and sat on the couch next to Herc, leaning on his shoulder. Gil glanced at the two a smile on his face, then returned to cooking.  
"It's the weekend, guys. What are we doing tonight?"  
"Let's get wasted," Hercules said, lifting his head, eyes shining with excitement.  
"I don't wanna drink around loud people, though," John said, not moving from his spot on Herc's shoulder.  
"If you insist on drinking, me and Hercules can go buy something and we can just hang around here."  
"But the dorm gets small," Alex said, letting go of Gil in favor of hopping up on the counter. They swung their feet back and forth to Gil's amusement.  
"There's a park I noticed a while ago," John supplied. "We could go to the park and drink."  
"I don't care, I just wanna get drunk," Herc said.  
"Is something wrong or is it just that it's the weekend?"  
"It's the weekend." John nodded.  
"I feel that."  
"You better be feeling hungry as well, cause breakfast is ready," Gil announced.

The night rolled around slowly, the four friends lounging in their dorm, music playing in the background. When nine o'clock came, Hercules roused himself from his spot on the floor.  
"Gil, if we're gonna head to the park, we should go buy drinks now." Gil sighed audibly, getting up from the desk chair. The two quickly donned their coats, not bothering to change from the old t-shirts and sweatpants they used as pyjamas.  
"We'll be back," Gil said.  
"Don't miss us too hard," Herc joked. They made to leave when Alex piped up.  
"Wait, kiss me first," they said. They stood from laying across the desk.  
"Both of us," Hercules asked, half-jesting.  
"Sure, if you want," Alex said, a glance thrown at Gil, who nodded and winked. Herc's eyebrows rose, but he shrugged and leaned down, pecking Alex on their lips. They both turned red, Alex smiling triumphantly as they turned to Gil for his kiss.  
"I don't care what else you get, but I want red wine," Alex said.  
"Will do. We'll be back," Gil said, then the two left the dorm.  
"So John," Alex said, turning. "Do you wanna do something while they're out?" John glanced up, a small smile on his face.  
"Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind?"  
The walk from the dorm to the convenience store was short but very, very cold. Gil was shivering by the time they reached the tiny store, something Herc noticed immediately.  
"I thought you'd be used to the cold by now," he quipped as they stepped through the door, grateful for the warmth.  
"I thought so too, but I guess not," Gil replied with a smile. "My grand-mère used to bundle me up in so many layers that skinny, 10-year-old Gil looked like a marshmallow."  
"You've never talked about your grandmother before," Herc commented as he grabbed a bottle and examined the label.  
"The anniversary of her death is this month," Gil said quietly. Herc sobered quickly.  
"I'm sorry, Gil. I didn't know."  
"It's alright. I just… stopped myself from thinking about her for a very long time. I only recently let myself feel grief for her." Herc was excited that Gil was opening up to him, but pushed those emotions aside to help his friend.  
"It's good that you're letting yourself grieve for her. Keeping that bottled up is definitely worse." Gil nodded, his entire demeanor quieted as he picked a bottle up. After a moment of silence, he chuckled.  
"I remember when I told her I was coming to America, she said, 'Écoute ton coeur, quand il t'appelle, mon petit choux'. In English, I think it's 'listen to your heart, when it calls'. She gave me her blessing, and told me that I should teach her everything I learn here. Except English," he tacked on. "She didn't want to learn English. She hated the language, thought it was ugly. I wish she could've met you," Gil said, a sad look aimed at Herc. "She told me that I was so charismatic and stubborn that I would make friends everywhere. I told her that I wouldn't be friends with anyone until she approved them."  
"It sounds like you were close."  
"Well, we had to be. My mother went to Paris without me, just like in my past life, except she'd left me and my grandmother in favor of living with her new husband. My grand-mère, when I asked where my mother went, told me that she was gone. I'd always assumed she'd died." Gil trailed off. Herc contemplated all the new information as he picked more bottles. They had a grand collection of five when they went up to the till, the cashier looking a little concerned at the amount of alcohol between the two of them.  
"Find everything alright, gents?"  
"Yes, we found everything we need," Herc answered. "How are your classes going, Ben?"  
"Well, if I were the customer, I'd have a lot more alcohol on the counter," the cashier said with a laugh. Herc chuckled, thanked Ben, and took the bag of alcohol, bottles clinking together as he and Gil made their way back to their cozy dorm  
Alex and John were done setting their surprise up when they heard footsteps from the open window. Quickly, they shut the lights off and ran to the window to see two figures making their way up the slightly icy path to the dorms.  
"You ready," Alex whispered, laughter shaking their voice.  
"Ready," John said, his face breaking out into a smile. They went into Alex's room, giggling to themselves. They heard someone fumbling with the doorknob, quickly followed by a loud pop.  
"Motherfu--," came a scream, accompanied by a cacophony of balloon noises, swearing, and bottles hitting each other. Alex and John held their hands over their mouths, trying to stifle their laughter. They both crouched down, waiting with bated breath for the next inevitable stage. After a few minutes, they got their prize.  
"Herc."  
"Gil."  
"I can't find the lightswitch."  
"I can't open the fridge." John and Alex contracted in unison, held-back laughter making their stomachs hurt. Alex waved their hand to shush John, listening out for the next trick.  
"I think they're in my room," they heard Herc say. Alex smirked; their idea worked.  
"I'm going to kill them," Gil said. There was a bit of shuffling through the balloons carpeting the floor, then a pause. After a moment, there was a sound of the door opening and the loudest scream John and Alex had ever heard. John snorted, laughter spilling from under his hand.  
"JOHN! ALEX!"  
"Je vais vous tuer!" The pair burst into laughter.  
"And now our graceful escape," Alex choked out between giggles. John and Alex opened the window and climbed up the fire escape. Three floors up, John knocked on a window covered by pink curtains. A face peered through the curtains, and to Alex's surprise, it was a familiar one.  
"Come in," Maggie said, sliding the window open and beckoning the two in.  
"You're the best partner in crime, Maggie," John said, settling himself on the bed.  
"I know," Maggie said, tossing her hair.  
"Maggie? Is someone there?" A voice called from beyond the door.  
"Come meet my friends, Kitty," Maggie called with a wink to John and Alex.  
"You've always got someone in your room, Maggie. Who could you possibly have now?" The door opened to reveal someone in a long blue dress.  
"Hello," Alex greeted, waving. John mimicked the move as Maggie smiled angelically.  
"Hi. These are my friends John and Alex. I'm helping them escape the wrath of their dorm mates who they just pranked massively," Maggie explained. "This," she added, turning to face the visitors in her room, "is my friend, Catherine Singh, aka Kitty. She's basically a rainbow but also will kick you in the face."  
"Enchanted," Alex said between laughs. They offered Kitty a hand. "I'm the Alex one."  
"I'm the John one."  
"Nice to meet you," Kitty said. "Uh, maybe this is a weird question, but what are your pronouns?"  
"That's not a weird question! He/him," John answered.  
"Uh, mine are actually they/them," Alex replied, rubbing the back of their neck and blushing.  
"Oh, why didn't you tell us," John asked, more nonchalant in the presence of Maggie and Kitty than he'd been in the past few months.  
"I… I don't know," they said. "I just didn't think it was the right time." John opened his mouth to reply when the Gravity Falls theme song started playing. Maggie and Kitty were confused as John pulled his phone out of his pocket.  
"It's Herc. He's gonna kill me," John said with a laugh as he answered the call. "Hello, Jim's crematorium. You kill 'em, we grill 'em." Alex, Maggie, and Kitty all doubled over in laughter.  
"JOHN I SWEAR TO GOD YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW AND UNDO ALL YOUR STUPID PRANKS." John winced behind his laugh and held the phone away from his ear, turning speakerphone on instead.  
"Not if you and Gil are still angry." There was some crackling and shuffling, then Gil's voice came through.  
"Come here and we'll show you how angry we are, you asshats."  
"Oh, is that Gilbert," Kitty asked. "Gil, it's Kitty."  
"Hello, Kitty. Is your sister there?"  
"No, I'm here with Maggie."  
"Hello," the girl in question replied.  
"Hello, Maggie. I assume you were the escape plan?"  
"That's confidential." The other three laughed.  
"We're coming to attack you," came Herc's voice. "Be ready." John hung up the call.  
"I have a plan," Alex said. Maggie's eyes immediately glinted with mischief.  
"Can we help?'

Gil and Herc stormed up the stairs, full water balloons in their hands. They reached the door on tiptoe, wanting the element of surprise on their hands. From inside, they heard low voices. On a silent count of three, they opened the door as quietly as they could and crept in, the voices losing a layer of muffled-ness.  
"They're in there," Gil breathed, gesturing to the door on the right. Herc nodded and made his way to the door, then gestured for Gil to follow. On the count of three, they burst into the room, water balloons flying from their hands, through the empty room, and bursting against the back wall. Gil and Herc stood in bewilderment.  
"Where'd they go," Herc wondered. He moved to the window to see that it was only closed, not locked. He moved a pillow on the bed and saw an unfamiliar phone, from which came a recording of four voices. Just as Herc was about to hold it up to show Gil, it began to ring. With even more confusion in his eyes, Herc answered the call.  
"Hello?"  
"Hah, tell Kitty she owes me six bucks," came John's voice.  
"Okay so I know that climbing out of windows is your thing, but where are you now? It's too cold to be on the roof."  
"Maggie, are we on the roof?"  
"Where else would we be?" Gil spoke up.  
"Maggie, Kitty, if you bring John and Alex back down here, we'll spare you."  
"Tempting, but give me more."  
"We'll buy you alcohol," Herc tacked on. There was laughter from the other side of the line, worried tones heard behind the chuckles.  
"Thanks, guys, you made Kitty think I'm an alcoholic. I think I'll pass on your offer." The call cut off. Herc and Laf looked at each other in confusion.  
Two floors up, Alex and crew were laughing until their sides hurt. John and Maggie were making comments on whether or not Herc would've actually bought her alcohol while Kitty berated Maggie. Alex turned to their classmates, who were very very confused.  
"Sorry for bursting in on you guys," they said, "but we needed to escape the wrath of our roommates."  
"Would you like to introduce us to your friends," Kitty asked. Alex nodded.  
"Loser in the plaid is Tom Jason, the shorter one is Arthur Bright, the silent one is Jonah Marcus. They're classmates of mine."  
"I'm not a loser," Tom said indignantly.  
"Nice to meet you," Maggie said, smiling widely. She offered a hand to all three, beaming the entire time.  
"Alex, what did you actually do to your roommates," Arthur asked, his quiet voice coming from behind Maggie.  
"John and I may or may not have pulled a series of pranks on them in the span of like two minutes." Arthur's face didn't change from its unamused look. Kitty chuckled at the exchange.  
"If you are the kinds of people Maggie hangs out with, I'm simultaneously worried for her safety and confident that she'll be fine." Just at that moment, Kitty's phone rang. She glanced at it, her face lighting up.  
"Is it Angie," Maggie asked. Kitty nodded, answering.  
"Hey, Angie," the two chorused.  
"Hey, Kitty! Hey, Maggie! Where's your new room again?"  
"We knew you'd get lost, so we sent the directions to you like four minutes ago," Kitty quipped. Silence, then an answer.  
"Oh, I have them… you're across the campus. I'll be there in a bit," Angie said, then hung up. Kitty rolled her eyes.  
"Angie sometimes gets lost in our house." Alex snorted. Maggie sat down on a bed and laid back, her head ending up in Jonah's lap. Jonah looked at her.  
"Hello."  
"Hello. Can I lay here?"  
"Sure?"  
"Cool." There was an awkward moment of silence before Alex settled back on the bed Arthur and Tom were on.  
"We should do something until Herc and Gil tell us they give up," they quipped. Tom lit up instantly.  
"Let's play Never Have I Ever." Maggie sat up instantly, almost smacking into Jonah.  
"I'm down!" Everyone else agreed.  
"Tom, you start," Alex said.  
"Never have I ever… pranked a roommate," Tom said, an impish smirk turned to Alex. John and Alex swore together, putting a finger down, as did Maggie, and Jonah.  
"Kitty, you're next."  
"Oh! Uh, never have I ever not told my friends a really big secret about myself." Everyone groaned and put fingers down. Alex eyed John comically, John laughing.  
Herc and Laf texted John and Alex at 11 at night, after two hours with the others. One quick discussion and a pooling of resources later, Herc and Laf were sent the directions to the dorm with an added message of 'bring the alcohol'. Gil, Herc, and Angie all arrived around the same time. Everyone got introduced while the alcohol was opened. Tom immediately took to flirting with Angie.  
"Hey," he said. "Are you an alien? Cause you're out of this world." Angie giggled.  
"Aw, you're so sweet! Can I tie your shoe?" A small look of confusion stole over Tom's face before Angie continued, "Because I can't have you falling for anyone else." Tom laughed in surprise, then linked arms with Angie.  
"Guys, Angie is my platonic girlfriend."  
"Actually, I'm not a girl. I'm nonbinary," Angie said quietly. Tom made a small noise of surprise as Alex screamed, "Me, too, Angie!"  
"What are your pronouns," they asked at the same time. Everyone laughed.  
"Mine are they/them," Alex said, a chuckle in their voice.  
"I use xe/xem." They spun off into a conversation about misgendering and explaining pronouns. After a little bit of time to get used to each other (and getting somewhat drunk), the group grew restless.  
"At least this is the fun kind of meeting. I had to sit through cabinet meetings and try not to punch people," Alex said, sipping from their glass.  
"I mean, I never had to go to cabinet meetings, but I did have to keep from punching people," John said from his spot on the floor. Alex sat next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders and touching their glass to his.  
"Cheers to shitty people in past lives."  
"What if we all knew each other in our past lives," Arthur quipped.  
"Ooh, let's go around the room and share," Angie said. "It'll be like one of those introduction games at the beginning of the year but better because we actually like each other."  
"Alright, you start," Tom said.  
"In my past life, I was Angelica Schuyler, married to a man by the name of Church, and I apparently was intimidating. I had a family but I don't know anything else. I had a family but I don't know anything else. Tom, your go."  
"I don't remember my name, but I was a high-ranking politician, I think I was rich, and I was aggressively southern."  
"Yeah, like that part has changed," Jonah teased. Tom stuck his out.  
"Fine, Jonah, you go."  
"Kay. I was a president but I don't remember which one, I was southern and rich, and I had a rival only because I was friends with him--," a gesture to Tom, "--and he hated that guy. Kitty, your go."  
"Oh, uh, I actually, uh, don't know who I was," she said shyly. "All I remember is that my kid, a sister, and my dad died really close together."  
"At least it's something," Maggie said. "I don't have anything. Gil, who were you," she asked.  
"I was a soldier under Washington. I remember a lot of little details and unimportant things about my life. Also, I remember vividly my wife's death… Sorry, that was morbid," he amended, a half-hearted chuckle tacked on. "Herc, you go."  
"I was a spy." Everyone sat up, interested in Herc's stories of the Revolution and running with the Sons of Liberty.  
"What about you, Alex," John said.  
"I know a lot because I remembered my name, but everything else I know only because I looked myself up."  
"The only instance in which you get something useful from googling yourself is when you were someone famous," Arthur said.  
"Well, I was famous for fighting people, starting the national bank, and cheating on my wife, apparently. Alexander Hamilton was a giant dickhead. But that's really sad. Art, you go." Arthur had an odd look on his face.  
"I think I killed you," he said after a moment. after a moment Alex's mouth gaped open.  
"You were… Aaron Burr?" Arthur just nodded. The room was silent, Arthur and Alex avoiding eye contact. It was several minutes before either of them spoke.  
"Well, Art, as long as you don't hold anything I did before against me now, I think we can work past that. Also, don't try to kill me this time around," Alex said, an attempt at a joke lightening the mood somewhat.  
"I wanna be friends with you," Arthur said. "I'm sorry for what I did in the past. I'm not Aaron Burr anymore." Arthur lowered his head, his voice breaking. Alex realized that Arthur was crying. They immediately wrapped their arms around him, hugging him tight. Arthur curled into the embrace, sniffling.  
"You're definitely not Aaron Burr anymore, Art. You're Arthur Bright. You're quiet and funny and smart and you know when to speak up." There was a few more seconds of silence as Arthur gathered himself.  
"Thanks, Alex."  
"No problem." Alex remained sitting next to Arthur.  
"So is this a bad time to say that I remember you, Alex," Angie said, fiddling with xir fingers. Alex shook their head.  
"Nah, I figured, since Angelica Schuyler came up in my research. Were you really in love with me or was that just speculation?"  
"That was just speculation. I was making fun of you that one time for freaking out over my punctuation. I loved you like a sibling." Alex nodded.  
"Cool, cause even I was curious." Gil spoke up.  
"Alex and I actually knew each other in our past lives. They wrote me love letters," he said affectionately.  
"I knew you guys too," Herc said quietly. "I'm remembering it. Alex, we met in a bar, didn't we," he said, chuckling. "How fitting."  
"Um, I don't actually remember meeting people. I just… remember… feelings? I can't explain it, but when Gil told me that he was a Lafayette, I remembered loving him and missing him, and feeling really really proud at one point." Alex looked down bashfully, embarrassed that they couldn't remember the details of their life.  
"That's kinda cool," Jonah said. "I wish I remembered how I felt at the time. I just remember the facts."  
"Wait, but did we know each other," Herc asked. Alex nodded slowly.  
"Yeah, I remember feeling really apprehensive, and then really inspired, and then… I think I felt really worried and proud at the same time. When I think about meeting you two, I remember another person. I think I loved them," Alex said, glancing at John, who had his eyes downcast, and then to Gil, who gave them a tiny smile. "I want to find them again. When I think about them, I remember love and fear and grief." Maggie, who had been silent for the majority of the exchange, suddenly gave a squeak of shock.  
"Kitty, you don't remember your name," she asked, grabbing the girl. Kitty looked startled, nodding.  
"I just remember the deaths of a child, my sister, and my father."  
"Do you remember who your sister was?"  
"No."  
"Shit. I think I knew her!" Kitty lit up.  
"You remembered something?"  
"Kind of! I just remember the image of a girl. She looks so familiar." Maggie groaned in frustration. "God, why can't I remember?"  
"Don't push yourself," Angie said. "You'll remember when you're ready." Maggie deflated, nodding.  
"Tonight's been weird," Jonah commented. Everyone nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah, but mutual weirdness means friends," John added, gazing around the room. More nods of agreement. The night carried on as nights between friends do: drinking, banter, laughter, and eventually, sleep. The dorm went dark around 2 am, when the first of the group settled in. Slowly, the chatter quieted until everyone was soundly asleep, cuddled up to a brand new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a ho for platonic cuddles  
> or romantic cuddles  
> im touch-starved someone cuddle me  
> im a desperate ho

**Author's Note:**

> i'll try to update often but lbr im a hella shit planner  
> theres no updating schedule  
> sorry


End file.
